2. Who was St. Malachy?

3. Why are people talking about the prophecy now?

The next-to-last motto in the prophecy of the popes has been associated with Pope Benedict XVI. Since he is now at the end of his papacy, that would bring us to the last name in the prophecy of the popes, which many have taken to indicate the final pope at the end of the world.

This passage reads as follows:

Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when they are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The end.

4. Is this an approved private revelation?

No, it is not. Although it has been influential in some Catholic circles for several hundred years, it is not approved by the Magisterium.

5. What evidence is there concerning its authenticity?

A significant mark against its authenticity is the fact that it was not published until 1595, though St. Malachy died in 1148. There is no record of the prophecy existing in the intervening 447 years.

Allegedly, this was because the prophecy lay, forgotten, in a Roman archive, and it was not rediscovered until 1590.

This explanation is possible in principle, but the fact that we cannot establish its existence for hundreds of years until after its supposed author's death is also consistent with the claim that it was a forgery composed around 1590 and then "salted" into the archive. ("Salting" is the term used for planting false records in archives.) It also may never have been in the archive but merely claimed to be.

While the fact that we have no mention of this document in the hundreds of years between the times of its reported composition and re-discovery does not prove that it is false, it does cast significant doubt on its authenticity.

6. How else can the reliability of the prophecy be evaluated?

If it is not possible to establish an external, historical record for the prophecy then the next logical approach is to examine its contents to see which theory of its origins they are more consistent with: Do the contents seem to suggest that it was written in the 1100s or do they suggest that it was written around 1590?

Many observers have thought the latter. One reason is that the "mottoes" for the period prior to 1590 are very easy to connect with the popes they allegedly represent.

By contrast, the mottoes assigned to the popes coming after 1590 are much harder to connect with the popes they allegedly represent, and often this can be done only in a contrived way.

The mottoes generally contain references to one of several things, including the pope's name (his papal name, his birth name, or his family name), his place of origin, or a heraldic crest connected with him (his papal arms, his family crest, or the crest of his order or place of origin).

They often involve plays on words regarding these things, though that is more obvious in Latin than in English.

7. What are some examples of mottoes that are easy to connect with popes prior to 1590?

Some examples include:

Ex castro Tiberis ("From a castle on the Tiber"). This is connected with Celestine II (1143-1144), who was born in Citta di Castello (City of the Castle), which is on the banks of the Tiber river.

Frigidus abbas ("Cold Abbot"). This is connected with Benedict XII (1334-1342), who had been the abbot of a monastery at Fontfroide ("Cold Spring").

De parvo homine ("From a small man"). This is connected to Pius III (1503), whose family name was Piccolomini, which is derived from piccolo (small) and uomo (man).

8. What are some examples of mottoes that are hard to connect with popes after 1590?

Some examples include:

Pia civitas in bello ("Pious city in war"). This is connected with Innocent IV (1591), but there is no good way to link him with this motto. Some have pointed to the fact that he was patriarch of Jerusalem before his election to the papacy, and Jerusalem could be thought of as a "pious city," but so could Rome and many others. Almost any Christian city would count, and Jerusalem was not a Christian city at this time. Furthermore, Jerusalem was not at war when he was patriarch.

Aquila rapax ("Rapacious eagle"). This is connected with Pius VII (1800-1823), but there is no good way to link him with this motto. Some have proposed that his reign overlapped with that of Napoleon and that Napoleon could be described as a rapacious eagle (that is, a hungry commander of armies), but this is very tenuous and makes the motto not a description of the pope but of someone else who was on the world stage during his reign.

Religio depopulata ("Religion destroyed"). This is connected with Benedict XV (1914-1922), but there is no good way to link him in particular with this motto. There is no obvious connection to his name, family, place of origin, or coat of arms. He did not destroy religion or religious life. Neither were either destroyed during his reign. He did reign during World War I, but that did not destroy either. He also reigned when Communism came to power in Russia. That didn't destroy religion in his day or in Italy. And again, we'd be connecting the motto with something other than the pope. If that were allowed then it would be possible to connect every motto with something that happened somewhere in the world during a pope's day, and the prophecies would have no particular value as they would all be applicable to any pope.

9. Should Catholics worry about the prophecy of the popes?

No. It is not an approved apparition, and the evidence is consistent with it being a forgery composed around 1590.

More fundamentally, Jesus indicated that we would not know the time of the end.

In keeping with Our Lord's warning, predictions of the end of the world based on the Bible have a dismal track record, and trying to predict the time of the end based on an unapproved private revelation that shows signs of being forged is even more foolish.

We should trust God, live according to his word, and leave the future in his hands.

As Jesus said:

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day" (Matt. 6:34).

Comments

In an article of April 4, 2004, the Osservatore Romano reported this incident after the Pope visited the tomb of St. Peter. It was recounted by Angelo Comastri, Cardinal-Archpriest of St Peter’s Basilica: Climbing back up the stairs and having reached the Clementine Chapel, Pope Francis became absorbed in prayer and repeated with a loud voice the three professions of Peter: “Lord, You are the Christ, Son of the Living God”; “Lord, to whom do we go? You have the words of eternal life”; “Lord, You know all things! You know that I love you!”. At that moment, we had the distinct impression that the life of Peter rose out of centuries past and became present and living in the current Successor of the Apostle Peter. With me were: Bishop Vittorio Lanzani, delegate of the Fabric of St Peter’s, Mons. Alfred Xuereb and those responsible for the necropolis, Pietro Zander and Mario Bosco. When we took our leave of the Holy Father we thought that he returned to his residence comforted by the echo of Jesus’ words: “You are Peter, the rock on whom I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. Is this gesture then yet another indication that he is Peter the Roman?

Posted by Deoacveritati on Thursday, Mar 28, 2013 4:28 AM (EDT):

Pendergast that is a very good question.

I’m going to keep my eyes open to see if I find it in anything I read about Pope Francis.

Posted by pendergast on Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 6:59 PM (EDT):

Does anyone know the Confirmation name of Pope Francis.

Posted by Deoacveritati on Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 8:35 AM (EDT):

Daniele you make an interesting point.

Posted by Nancy G on Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 3:07 AM (EDT):

Nancy D, i agree with what you posted: Who can deny that we are living in a Time of Great Apostasy, when those who have left Christ’s Church spiritually, have been allowed to remain within His Church physically, causing chaos and confusion, while leading many a astray? Those who deny the inherent personal and relational Dignity of the human person, created in The Image and Likeness of God, deny God, and are thus apostates. We, who are no longer sleeping in Gethsemane, will know if we have a true Pope or an anti Pope. No doubt, there are many anti Christ’s, those who deny The Word of God Is The Truth of Love. The question is, “When The Son of Man returns, will He find Faith on Earth?”

What I would like to add is: Have any of you read DESMOND BIRCH’S book: Trial, Tribulation and Triumph, Before, During and After Antichrist. He spent 23 years researching this book, and covers everything in the bible, Jesus, Apostles, Sub Apostles, Father’s of the Church, and so on through history. Instead of folks thinking that this may be the End Times, which actually started once Jesus was raised from the dead, in Mr Birch’s book, he discusses a Minor Chastisement, not caused by God, but caused by us people, who have fallen away from Christ’s teachings, he warns that if we dont change our secular ways, that we will bring many atrocities upon ourselves including the loss of I believe a third of the people on the earth, the three days of darkness are included in this, he says those who are left alive will look at the dead and wish they were dead too, that we will basically destroy ourselves to the point of living back in a farming age. God will finally stop it, to save those still alive, and usher in the Age of Peace, where there will be major conversions to the Catholic Church, and we will live in peace and simplicity. He also cited many approved prophecies, though saying we are not obliged to believe them, and prophecies of the 20th century being the bloodiest century in history. Once we are in the age of peace for whatever period of time, we will grow restless again, and move away from God, that is when the Tribulation from God will begin, and Antichrist will appear, and at the end of this tribulation, will be when Jesus returns, basically to clean things up and set up the New Heaven and New Earth. The Antichrist will go to the Jews and try to say he is the Messiah, but Elijah and Enoch will return, Elijah will speak to the Jews and Enoch to the Muslims, they will be slaughtered in Israel and the Jewish peoples eyes will open and see that Jesus is the true Messiah and they will convert. What confuses me is that this book was published in 1996 with emphasis on folks worrying about the end of the world in 2000. Desmond Birch at the end of the book, personally felt that we were beginning the self caused Minor Chastisement, which in 1996, means if my math is correct, we are entering the 17th year of the Minor Chastisement which is supposed to get progressively worse as time goes on, until God Himself stops it. Jesus had St Faustina dictate His Words regarding His Divine Mercy and that the word needed to get out to the people because this was the end times, and He wanted people to realize He is Merciful and that they can be forgiven, yet her book was banned by the church, she died in 1939, until JPII brought it to our attention, supposedly it was rewritten in proper grammar, which Faustina with only a 2nd grade education was not knowledgeable about. Once it was written in her own writing, JPII, brought it to our attention, but why didnt any other pope in that 50 year period between her death and JPII, have done this? Just like the secrets of Fatima are still not totally known, i believe it is because of what Paul VI said, that Satan has entered the church, and there are a lot of Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious, and lay people who are not following Christ but following Satan. Benedict XVI, i believe knew this and knew he was too sick to fight it and that is why he resigned, so a younger, healthier Pope, could clean up all of the destruction that has been wrought by years of Satan worshippers in our church. I do not get afraid when i read approved prophecies, but i do take them seriously, because Jesus works through people to warn us of our iniquities and if they help snap some people out of their secular lifestyles all the better. So i dont believe the world is going to end soon, but i cant help but look around me and believe that we are in the Minor Chastisement period, and sadly, i dont see people flocking back to the church, so i believe if this keeps up that we are going to be facing a lot of destruction to the world and ourselves, because we have done it to ourselves, and i believe that it will continue unfortunately until we lose the amount of people, a third, and for lack of a better word blow ourselves back to the farm age, until GOD Himself has to step in.

Posted by Daniele on Thursday, Mar 21, 2013 1:49 AM (EDT):

The Voice of America reported that at Wednesday’s meeting on March 20, Francis called Patriarch Bartholomew “my brother Andrew,” a reference to the apostle Peter who was the brother of St. Andrew. In an article for the National Catholic Register, A. Gagliarducci noted that as of March 20, Pope Francis always referred to himself as the bishop of Rome (rather than simply Pope) except on one occasion; this was evident even in the first statements he made – is he not then, in his own words, Peter the Roman?

Posted by Nancy D. on Thursday, Mar 14, 2013 7:40 PM (EDT):

And Pray for our Holy Father!

Posted by Nancy D. on Thursday, Mar 14, 2013 7:39 PM (EDT):

We will soon know if the Great Apostasy will continue if those who deny the personal and relational inherent Dignity of the human person created in The Image and Likeness of God, and those who deny that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic Faith, are allowed to remain in Christ’s Church causing chaos and confusion. Stay Awake, and Godspeed!

Posted by Italian not Roman on Thursday, Mar 14, 2013 7:14 PM (EDT):

Just because he’s Italian does not make him Roman. His family was from Portacomaro in Italy’s Piedmont region, far away from Rome.

And freddy, it doesn’t matter how much you disprove the hypothesis. There are those who will lie to even themselves to believe what they want to believe.

Now THAT is the work of the “father of all lies”!

Posted by freddy on Thursday, Mar 14, 2013 4:25 PM (EDT):

I honestly thought that electing a pope who is neither Roman nor has “Peter” anywhere in his name would finally put to rest this fake prophecy.

Silly me.

Posted by d dooms day on Thursday, Mar 14, 2013 11:55 AM (EDT):

From the time of noah,lot,christ ,fatima.faustina k,and now.man had been doubting. Even as the church detororiate. Let us not forget (The burtlers issue,financial issue, child abuse scandal) gay marriage,abortion,etc. Watch n pray

Posted by Brian on Thursday, Mar 14, 2013 11:08 AM (EDT):

A book published last year entitled “Petrus Romanus: The Final Pope Is Here,” by authors Cris Putnam and Tom Horn, detailed the Malachy prophecy and predicted that the current Pope would abdicate for health reasons, paving the way for the final Pope.

I agree that no one other than God Himself will know the day and time, but I can’t help but wonder… “Peter the Roman” and the new pope is ethnically Italian born in Argentina.

Posted by James Bailey on Thursday, Mar 14, 2013 1:51 AM (EDT):

These so-called prophesies are so vague as to be very close to meaningless. Perhaps there was a misspelling of St. Malachy. Could it be that his name is St. Marlarky?

Posted by Sharon on Wednesday, Mar 13, 2013 8:50 PM (EDT):

I just read a short biography on Pope Francis and discovered he is the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina. So he is a “Roman”, in a sense.

Posted by Sharon on Wednesday, Mar 13, 2013 8:10 PM (EDT):

I wonder if Peter the Roman could refer to Pope Francis sitting in the chair of St. Peter’s in Rome? He seems such a kind and loving man, I could easily see him “pasturing his sheep” as the prophecies indicate.

Posted by Find a link... on Wednesday, Mar 13, 2013 4:43 PM (EDT):

OK. So nothing about Francis I (his life, country, diocese, name) is tied in any way, shape or form to “Peter the Roman”.

Speculation and case closed.

Posted by Pat on Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013 11:27 PM (EDT):

Oh, if the apostates of the Church, of which there seem to be plenty ... should decide to get together and ‘democratically’ elect their own pope ... then that would be the false prophet perhaps ... but a Pope legitimately elected by the college of cardinals ... as supposed to be done ... could not be the false prophet ... right? Hoping that to be the case.

The Vati-leaks, hidden homosexual network of Bishops and even Cardinals and Priests too ... throughout the Church and all the way into the Vatican ... now ... THAT’s a serious problem for this conclave as well ... but I Believe the HOLY SPIRIT should be up to it ... if we praying as well.

GOD Bless us all.

Posted by Pat on Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013 11:02 PM (EDT):

Jimmy’s examples are not good ones ... especially Benedict XV ... really really really bad comments by him on that one ... saying no religion was destroyed ... it being the start of Communism in 1917 during this reign ... and plenty of damage to both the Church and Religion in general and specific ... plenty of Catholics died also and Churches lost ... so WHAT is he thinking ? Even the Blessed Mother saying that much damage would be done to Religion and to the Church ... so what if not destroyed ... still, great damage.

We’ll see what happens with the next Pope ... two Peters in the conclave ... one with the anagram of Iscariot to his name ... I know ... that’s NOT how the Church works, right ... but GOD and the Blessed Mother have more than once in history foretold, in extraordinary ways ... the events of time and history ... sometimes specifically, in retrospect.

I do not go by all of that ... as Living the ordinary aspects of the Faith is the key to doing GOD’s Will ... but being Spiritually prepared and aware is also a good thing ... and these both being in the main purpose of private revelations ... also being the purpose of these to cause us to Repent and Believe ... again ... before it’s too late ... thus saving us from trials and tribulations which otherwise will burst upon us in our day.

GOD Bless Jimmy and us all.

Posted by Catherine M. Evans on Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013 10:42 PM (EDT):

I see Benedict 15 play on words name, reading sorta backwards in Latin as:

Reli = could be the prophetic words that were reliable, or with reverence and not superstitious or sacraligious, or a play on words from Pegli.

The reason it was sorta backwards would be the prophecy that he would be Cardinal, then Arch Bishop, also he joked Sorry, no Sarto has risen to make a Pope’s Robe.

Posted by Art Carter on Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013 3:11 PM (EDT):

More fundamentally, Jesus indicated that we would not know the time of the end.

In keeping with Our Lord’s warning, predictions of the end of the world based on the Bible have a dismal track record, and trying to predict the time of the end based on an unapproved private revelation that shows signs of being forged is even more foolish.

We should trust God, live according to his word, and leave the future in his hands.

As Jesus said:

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day” (Matt. 6:34).

What do you think?

———————-

I think you are twisting the words of Jesus to try to make your own point. Jesus said, “No man knows the day or the hour of his return except the Father.” But he also gave a warning of the FIG TREE to know the SEASON of his return in Mathew 24

And the Catholic Church recognition of the Miracle of Fatima shows that it excepts REVELATION outside the BIBLE, as long as it doesn’t contradict the WORD, or point people away from GOD.

Posted by Christine Lemieux on Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013 12:11 PM (EDT):

I find it interesting at best. If Cardinal O’Malley is elected-then Peter the Roman will be fulfilled.

Posted by fniper on Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013 11:54 AM (EDT):

I have more concern for those who limit the God who gives warnings than than those who heed those warnings. How long will we pay for those who ignored the warnings of Fatima?

Posted by Obiora Okeke on Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013 4:21 AM (EDT):

It is thought provoking.

Posted by Michael Rofe on Monday, Mar 11, 2013 10:35 PM (EDT):

The scriptures don’t identify where the false prophet comes from.
They do say the Anti-christ is a Roman in Daniel 9:26-27.
He is identified as a ruler of the people who destroyed the temple in 70 AD who were The Romans.
The reason The Pope would be the most likely prophet if he is “Peter The Roman”, and he is the most high profile prophet in the world today.

Posted by KEVIN FAILE on Monday, Mar 11, 2013 3:10 PM (EDT):

NO ONE KNOWS THE TIME OF CHRIST RETURN ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE. THAT DOESNT MEAN GOD CANT USE MAN TO FORTELL OF HIS SECOND COMING. THE BOOK OF REVELATIONS AND ITS PREDICTIONS ARE IN FACT COMING TRUE. IF FACT THE WHOLE BIBLE,35% OF SCRIPTURE IS PROHESY, THAT ALREADY HAS COME TRUE.THIS IS FACT HISTRIOCIALY AND SCIENTIFICALLY. IF PETER THE ROMAN IS ,AS PREDICTED, THE LAST POPE, THEN MAYBE THIS IS A SIGN THAT THE END OF DAYS IS DRAWING NEARER. WERE CERTAINLY CLOSER THAN WE WERE 2OOO YEARS AGO TRUE? REVELATIONS IS OUR ROAD MAP FOR END TIME PROPHESY BUT I THINK IF GOD CHOSE TO USE A MAN OR WOMAN TO HELP GUIDE USE THEN WHOSE TO SAY THIS PROPHESY ISNT TRUE. THE BIBLE SAYS NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!

Posted by Nancy D. on Monday, Mar 11, 2013 10:20 AM (EDT):

Where in the prophesy does it state that the last Pope will be a false prophet?

Posted by Nancy D. on Sunday, Mar 10, 2013 10:56 PM (EDT):

A lack of Faith is the reason so many have left His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

Posted by Typical EWTN on Sunday, Mar 10, 2013 10:15 PM (EDT):

And this is the reason why so many have left the Church. The propagation of extreme views that are not approved by the Magisterium and the selective censoring to stifle discussion by those who want to promote said extreme views.

Posted by Sharon on Sunday, Mar 10, 2013 2:51 PM (EDT):

Regarding the prophecy for Pope John Paul I, I got this from a website, “The so called Luna, half moon, or sickle of the moon, also waning and waxing moon, is a sign of fertility, related to life and death, and thus a popular symbol in many religions.” http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq/yq244.html

So maybe the half moon refers to the fact he was a living Pope who experienced death, and we always think of him as the Pope who died so quickly.

God Bless,
Sharon

Posted by Michael Rofe on Saturday, Mar 9, 2013 10:58 PM (EDT):

As The Holy See, The last pope would be the false prophet that leads the church to follow the false messiah (who is The Anti-christ.)

Posted by Nancy D. on Saturday, Mar 9, 2013 11:59 AM (EDT):

Who can deny that we are living in a Time of Great Apostasy, when those who have left Christ’s Church spiritually, have been allowed to remain within His Church physically, causing chaos and confusion, while leading many a astray? Those who deny the inherent personal and relational Dignity of the human person, created in The Image and Likeness of God, deny God, and are thus apostates. We, who are no longer sleeping in Gethsemane, will know if we have a true Pope or an anti Pope. No doubt, there are many anti Christ’s, those who deny The Word of God Is The Truth of Love. The question is, “When The Son of Man returns, will He find Faith on Earth?”

Posted by Peter on Friday, Mar 8, 2013 2:59 PM (EDT):

In regard to your point 8 .... Religio depopulata (“Religion destroyed”). This is connected with Benedict XV (1914- 1922). Religion was destroyed and still is stifled in Russia especially the Catholic Faith. This started with the communists taking over in Russia in 1917.
Research Fatima and Our Lady’s messages thoroughly and I believe many things will be made clearer.( ” Russia will spread her errors “)

Posted by Charles on Thursday, Mar 7, 2013 10:48 PM (EDT):

Deoacveritati, my point is that we shouldn’t bother trying to predict when Christ will return. No one knows. We should just live our lives as best we can and stop trying to predict the end of the world.

St. Paul thought that Christ would return during his lifetime and if you ask anyone living during times of great distress over the centuries (the Black Plague, WWI, WWII, and soooooo many others), they will all say that they thought these were “the signs that Christ is coming back.” He didn’t.

Again, I ask you. If the Popes, who are the representatives of Christ on earth and are guided by the Holy Spirit, truly believe that this end-of-the-world stuff is true, why do they never mention it???? If ANYONE would know, wouldn’t it be the Pope?

No, the people that I hear speaking of the end times all talk about “The Warning”, “the Third Secret of Fatima”, “St. Malachy and the destruction of Rome”, “The Divine Will”, Medugorje, Kibeho, Garabandal, Akita and on and on and on. Most people talking about those PRIVATE REVELATIONS (most of which are NOT approved by the Magisterium) are not focused on the “hope”; they all convey the “fear” and people are making money out of poor souls who buy into this stuff when all they need to do is live life the best way they can. You don’t need to believe ANY of it to save your soul. Zero. Nada. None. That’s Catechism of the Catholic Church 101.

Posted by Earl on Thursday, Mar 7, 2013 9:18 AM (EDT):

I agree with the article, but I must point out that “Religio Depopulata”, does fit the regnum of Benedict XV, because it does not mean “Religion Destroyed” but “Religion depopulated.” Benedict XV presided over the Church during the Great War, in which the one half of the male population of Europe (the part of the world that was most inundated with the Christian religion) died. So, his phrase is apt, as are the phrases of several other popes in the last hundred years. If the Lord is ready to come now then I believe that He is truly merciful. At any rate, whether the world ends or not, each of us will die and relatively soon. We must prepare ourselves for our own end regardless of what will happen to the planet.

Posted by Deoacveritati on Thursday, Mar 7, 2013 5:39 AM (EDT):

Charles, extremes are not good.

I don’t think some of us are wrong when we say let’s examine them and not ignored them or totally disregard them as forgeries.

You on the contrary are proposing that we should ignore them and pretend that everything is fine and dandy just because according to you if the Pope believed this prophecy then he would warn the world so as many could be saved.

What????

I think you need help understanding that that’s not how it works.

It is fine if you don’t believe in prophecies of St. Malachy or any prophecy fo that matter, but your logic just doesn’t make any sense.

Our Lord Jesus Christ talked about the last days or the end of the world it doesn’t make a difference to me which wording people uses.

This world without Christ’s physical presence (and yes I know he is Present in the Blessed Sacrament) and all this secularism in world and in the Catholic Church is bad.

Like I said before we don’t know when the Lord will return it could be in the next minute or in the next one thousand years, but it is our duty to be aware of the signs of the times.

You can read it in the Holy Bible:

Matthew 24:3

Matthew 24:36

Luke 21:36

2 Peter 3:10

Apocalypse 1:3

Luke 21:25-26

2 Corinthians 4:4

1 Corinthians 10:11-12

1 Corinthians 2:14

Our Lord talks about His Return so that we find HOPE in Him the good will finally be reunited with Him and He will reign FULLY AMONG HIS PEOPLE, this is NOT a doomsday scenario.

Those who think so are not Christians.

Christians SHOULD AND MUST WANT Christ to return as soon as possible.
The sad part is that many Christians, like I said before DON’T WANT CHRIST TO RETURN they are too confortable without HIM.

Our Lord does encourage ALL of US to be aware of the signs is in the Holy Bible.

Posted by Charles on Wednesday, Mar 6, 2013 5:09 PM (EDT):

Four things:
1. The Bible is the only true source of public revelation. Every other source of revelation is private and not needed for salvation. The Bible is CRYSTAL CLEAR: No one knows the time or the day. Not the angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. (Matt 24:36) NO ONE.
2. No Pope has EVER warned the faithful about the end of the world coming soon. In fact, they repeatedly say the opposite and the first words JPII said were “Be Not Afraid!” Was he a liar? Are they all liars? Don’t you think that if a Pope believe this prophecy that he would warn the world so as many should could be saved as possible?
3. If you live your life in a righteous way, what are you afraid of? So what if it’s true? Do you try to avoid sin only when your doom is imminent? Or do you try to avoid it because that is how you should live?

What really irks me the most about all these prophecies and apparitions is how some people claim they are “in the know” but don’t do jack-squat about it. They all sit around with their false piety trying to INSTILL FEAR INTO PEOPLE and waiting to shout out “I told you so! I told you so!” Others make a financial killing by selling materials whose only purpose is to INSTILL FEAR INTO PEOPLE. Is that God? Is our God a God of Fear?

Sorry but I’ll pass on the nonsense. I’ve seen enough lives destroyed by this kind of end-times speculation. I’ve seen many people destroy their families because their spouses of children would not adopt the life of FEAR.

Posted by Another Jimmy on Wednesday, Mar 6, 2013 12:52 PM (EDT):

Comparing the “most verifiable” pre-1590s to the “least verifiable” post-1590s. James! James! Talk about stacking the deck. But the one that actually gave me the shivers is your “secret society” or “secret information” or “secret” anything. As one comment put it, very poor taste, James. I am still bewildered that someone actually thought the freemasons were banned - on pain of excommunication - ‘just because’ it is secret. I would think that the freemasons’ aim of destroying the Church is a more likely reason for excommunication!!!

Posted by Deoacveritati on Wednesday, Mar 6, 2013 6:43 AM (EDT):

Leonardo,

Thank you!!!

Posted by Mel Kesser on Tuesday, Mar 5, 2013 1:56 PM (EDT):

i believe that the only reason that people refuse to accept prophecy, is because they just don’t care. then when the prophecy comes true, they tell you that there is nothing we could do to prevent it anyway. all prophecy is conditional to mankinds response. So, if an unbelievers won’t pray to change the eventual outcome, then we can only thank them for any loss of life that occurs. in the meantime we can only pray for the scoffers. they have always existed throughout history.

Posted by John on Tuesday, Mar 5, 2013 1:22 PM (EDT):

To prove your point that these are forgeries you show three examples prior to 1590 how they could match up exactly to the pope elected and then after 1590 three examples where it is difficult to connect the prophesy to the pope. But how about the many examples after 1590 where they closely connected. How about Pope John Paul I who was “under the half moon”? He was elected under a half moon and died a month later again under a half moon. So even if they were forgeries in 1590 then who ever did them still did some pretty good predicting of the future.

As others have mentioned, we do not know the exact day or the hour of the end. But we were warned that there would be signs of when that end was approaching. It is certainly to easy to get overly concerned with private revelations to the point where they negatively affect our lives and there are also plenty of false seers out there. However in trying to discredit the extreme of one side it does no good to fall to the other extreme. I personally find these prophecies interesting and am not ready to out right ignore them, realizing that my end may come before them even if they are true. The good thing is, we should know soon whether they are true or not.

Posted by Kenneth Heck on Sunday, Mar 3, 2013 3:56 PM (EDT):

By Jimmy:

“No Practical Value

There is also another factor weighing against the St. Malachy prophecy: What is it supposed to do? How is it supposed to help us?”

We need to take into account the times of St. Malachy. There was expectation that Christ would be returning around the end of the first millennium, especially when the crusaders had captured Jerusalem and established a kingdom there. The next step after the second coming of Christ would be the dissolution of the Papacy since all authority would flow from Christ’s throne in Jerusalem. Malachy’s prophecy of 112 more popes contradicts these false expectations. With 112 popes averaging reigns of 8 or 9 years each we are taken well beyond the second millennium before the Papal office ends. So, the Malachy prophecies may not be important to modern generations, but would be to those of the crusader era.

Actually, I don’t think that the St. Malachy prophecy has reached us in its original form. The early inclusion of anti-popes suggests it was
altered, perhaps around 1590, for some political advantage.

Posted by Jacques on Sunday, Mar 3, 2013 1:34 PM (EDT):

Dear Mr. Watford, You state that there will be “no era of peace (a temporal kingdom)” before the Last Judgment. Here you are making an ambiguous statement. At Fatima our Lady promised a period of peace as well as the conversion of Russia. She did not say the peace would last until the end of the world. In 1944 the Holy Office stated (Denzinger 3839) that the idea that Christ would come and visibly reign before the final judgment cannot be safely taught. This is not at all what is referred to in the messages of Fatima.

Posted by Leonardo on Saturday, Mar 2, 2013 6:38 AM (EDT):

Here are a few facts that seem relevant. In Isaiah 46: 9-10, God spoke through the prophet to announce that He knows the end of the world from its beginning. In Psalm 139, David admits that God knows everything about him, before he is even aware of it himself. With this knowledge, it is not inconceivable that St Malachy asked God to inspire him with the future of the papacy. If so, then God would also know that up until 1590, the prophecies would lay unnoticed, and He could freely make clear the connexions between each pope and their Latin slogan. After 1590, such clarity would certainly interfere with freewill, since a recognized connexion between a particular candidate and a Latin motto would introduce a new factor into the election. Hence, obscurity from 1590 onwards would be vital. Apparently, the much respected historian at the Vatican Library, Onofrio Panvinio, raised no objection to the document’s discovery at the time. Thus, in 1590 Niccolo Sfondrati was elected under the motto, Ex Antiquitate Urbis, sometimes written as De Antiquitate Urbis – From the Old City. Milan was founded in 400 BC. Pope Gregory XIV’s father was a senator in Milan, and the family where this future pope was born lived close to the city. In 1560, having joined the priesthood, Fr Niccolo was appointed Bishop of Cremona – a city that became a Roman settlement in 280 BC. The next pope was Innocent IX, elected in 1591. His motto was Pia Civitas In Bello – The Pious City during War. Before becoming pope, Giovanni Facchinetti was appointed Patriarch of Jerusalem: a city then held by the Ottoman Empire under Moslem control. After his death, Clement VIII was elected in 1592. His motto was Crux Romulae – The Roman Cross. His coat of arms displays an embattled bend, sometimes referred to as a Roman Cross. In 1605 Leo XI became pope, but he died 27 days after his election. His motto, Undosus Vir – A Billowy Hero, must therefore refer to his past. Before becoming pope, Alessandro de’ Medici was appointed Pius V’s representative to the Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de’ Medici, a position he held for 15 years. It is to him this motto refers. Cosimo built the Florentine Navy into a fighting force, which then took part in the sea battle at Lepanto in 1571. Cosimo also founded the Order of Saint Stephen. The objective of the order was to fight the Ottoman Turks and the pirates that sailed the Mediterranean Sea. The Turks and the pirates were responsible for attacks made along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea where Cosimo I had recently inaugurated the new port of Livorno. An illustration showing a Galley of the Order of St Stephen still exists. Does this prove Malachy’s prophecies? I think proof is too strong a word. But, beware of those who jest at prophecies yet know so little about history.

Posted by thomas joseph on Saturday, Mar 2, 2013 1:54 AM (EDT):

Jesus himself did not know the end time. St. Malachy may have referred to the end of European Pontiffs,(this looks more likely at this point in time)
At any rate, Faith, Brothers and Sisters. Stay strong and hold fast. Trying times are a Blessing for the Faithful. Each arrow that pierces the Church should make our Faith stronger. IMHO ...Yours in Christ ... Thomas

Posted by Victoria on Friday, Mar 1, 2013 3:53 PM (EDT):

You people know the end of times began after Jesus’ ascension right? That has always been the teaching of the Church, that we’ve been living the Last Days ever since the Ascension. St. Paul believed the Second Coming was imminent, and that’s because it is imminent. The Lord could come at any moment.
I accept the apparitions and revelations that were approved by the Church, but I prefer to be guided by the Gospel and the teachings of the Church.

Posted by iris on Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 10:12 AM (EDT):

What if a Peter is elected yet he is no Roman? Or a Roman elected but not a Peter? How is that? The best assumption I guess is that all cardinals peter or not are all Roman - Catholics. :b)

Posted by Pete McNesbitt on Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 3:10 PM (EDT):

Armagh in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom: a city of two cathedrals, a city on seven hills, the city of legends. There are well over Fifty (5-0) cities world wide that claim to be situated on seven hills.

Saint Malachy, could have been writing about his own city Armagh. I’ll worry about his prophecy when ALL seven hilled cities are destroyed.

Posted by Grey Bear on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 9:10 PM (EDT):

The Church has always objected to freemasonry, basically because it is a ‘secret’ society. The Church in turn has secured archives overflowing with numerous ‘secrets’ ! The 3rd secret of Fatima for instance. It was supposed to be revealed in 1960. It was delivered to John XXIII, he read it & refused to divulge its contents. WHY ? Did the Vatican properly consecrate Russia to Our Lady as she requested ? I’d prefer my Church to be truthful & open to us. I’d prefer a Pontiff that promptly corrects his sheep & addresses the heretics & their blatherings with due diligence !

Posted by Philip Maguire on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 9:00 PM (EDT):

As a career journalist/reporter I would question why a forger would choose St Malachy. I suppose he’s as good a candidate as any other saint but surely there are plenty more who would have sprung into the mind of a forger?

It may be a forgery, it may not. But I don’t think the reasons given for suspecting forgery are any stronger than the case for its authenticity. But, even if it is authentic, it may not necessarily be accurate.

Posted by Stephen Walford on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 8:33 PM (EDT):

Dave,
Yes In my book I dismantle that theory (or I should say the popes do that) The reality is there is no era of peace(a temporal kingdom) this side of the Last Judgment.I have spend a good deal of time in the last two chapters explaining through the writings of the popes why this theory of a spiritual millenium is millenarianism in different wrapping paper
Stephen

Posted by Rich on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 5:55 PM (EDT):

I posted on an article featured on Horn’s site that the reliance on Catholic prophesies/apparitions/authors and the contention that infiltration from within by Satan’s agents being necessary to try to destroy our church (the basis for their positions) should be proof enough that it is the one, true church. No reply. If they truly accept the truths of their premises, they would be Catholics by now.

Posted by William Johnson on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 3:58 PM (EDT):

Well said Belle F.

Posted by Belle F on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 3:49 PM (EDT):

While it’s true that the Church has not approved this prophecy, neither have they denied it or said it is a heresy. I agree that people can get too caught up in this prophecy, however I also feel it’s foolish to outright deny it and not put it to further thought. Prophecy is an inherent part of the Catholic Church’s culture, however the people of our era (Church officials, preists, religious and laity) are always ready to dismiss it without testing it or praying about it. And as another commenter posted, St Paul did say that “all prophecy is imperfect”.

Posted by Nokomis on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 3:27 PM (EDT):

Regarding the Malachy prophesies,Dont forget that IF cardinal Siri was properly elected (wwwthepopeinred.com/successor.htm ) and lived until 1986, then a second cardinal duly elected to follow him, then from PiusXII till now was only three popes…while if we follow from johnxxiii, (who took the name of the antipope johnxxiii)there were five, with one last one to go. The other way, there are three left. This is why we need the Holy spirit!!

Posted by Deoacveritati on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 2:54 PM (EDT):

Philip, you are lost in the fog.

And Tony, Christ said that we should remain vigilant.

You are right when you said that one should be prepared for one’s own final judgment, which comes to everyone after death, but that doesn’t mean we should not consider prophecies as well. We can study them without getting afraid or paranoid about them.

People, the world might not end tomorrow but the world will end one day Our Lord said so, and all catholics should not fear to look into Catholic prophecies since they are part of the Catholic faith, the Bible itself is a book of prophecies, we need to stop being afraid and read them NOT with the mentality of a FATALIST BUT WITH THE HOPE THAT WHEN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST RETURNS whether is today or thousands of years from now or whenever his Second Coming will be HE IS GOING TO MAKE EVERYTHING RIGHT.

HOW CAN WE CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS WHEN WE ARE SO AFRAID OF HIS SECOND COMING???

HOW CAN WE BE CALLED FATALISTS WHEN IN HIM WE FIND ALL THE HOPE OF ETERNAL PEACE, A REIGN OF JUSTICE AND LIFE IN HIS PRESENCE?

HOW CAN WANTING HIS KINGDOME COME BE FATALISTIC??? I DON’T GET IT?

HOW CAN WE NOT BE SHOUTING FROM THE TOP OF OUR LUNGS

COME LORD JESUS COME WE NEED YOU, WE DON’T NEED SOME GREAT MONARCH(I don’t believe in the French Monarch by the way) LIKE SOME LIKE TO BELIEVE WHO GIVE US A PERIOD OF PEACE WHEN IN YOU LORD JESUS WE HAVE ALL WE NEED.

AFTER ALL YOU ARE THE KING OF KINGS, THE LORD OF LORDS, THE PRINCE OF PEACE, THE ETERNAL PRIEST, AND YOU ARE A PROPHET.

THE ANSWER IS THIS, MANY WANT THIS CRAZY WORLD TO KEEP ON GOING, AND GOING, AND GOING. THEY DON’T REALLY WANT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO REIGN.

THAT IS WHY MOST PEOPLE, AND EVEN CATHOLICS DON’T WANT THE RETURN OF CHRIST.

MANY ARE TOO CONFORTABLE WITHOUT HIM. THAT IS THE PROBLEM!!!

Posted by Nick from Detroit on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 2:51 PM (EDT):

Mr. Laudicina,
So, you believe Galileo was teaching scientific fact when he claimed, wrongly, that the sun was the center of the universe?
I suggest you educate yourself on the facts of the case before you make any more false assertions, okay?
God Bless!

Posted by Phil Laudicina on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 2:20 PM (EDT):

If you are not seeing that we are getting ever so closer to the Tribulation, you are not paying attention. There is hardly any doubt that Barack Obama is the Antichrist. The Vatican’s track record on truth is shaky at best. Forcing Galileo to recant scientific fact and keeping the third secret of Fatima from us because it obviously exposes how corrupt it has become. The best advice for everyone is to trust Jesus, NOT some priest or nun or minister and look for the signs. Be ready, because as we do not know the hour or the day, the signs are all around us that the day is not far off.

Posted by Tony on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 2:19 PM (EDT):

What purpose would the prophecies of St. Malachy serve? It is sufficient to live and believe according to the laws of God and simply be prepared for one’s own final judgment, which comes to everyone after death. This kind of intrigue serves little purpose except to fill people with fear, which is contrary to what Jesus asked of his followers. How can one “be not afraid” if they are preoccupied with the end of the world? What hope and inspiration can people draw from this?

Posted by Deoacveritati on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 2:06 PM (EDT):

People the POPE IS NOT GOING TO BE the antichrist.

WHAT A BUNCH OF NONSENSE!!!

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU READ FALSE PROTESTANT PROPHECIES IN REGARDS TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

THAT IS WHY PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO CONFESSION OFTEN, GRACE IS NEEDED SO WE DON’T FALL FOR THE LIES OF THE DEVIL AND PRAY BEFORE YOU READ ANYTHING ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO PROPHECY SO YOU DON’T GET CONFUSED AND START BELIEVING…WELL,... NONSENSE.

STOP MIXING Catholic prophecies, with the FALSE INTERPRETATION given by the Protestant heretics.

Also DON’T mix them with the prophecies of Nostradamous either.

AND ONE MORE THING THAT GARBAGE BOOK PETRUS ROMANUS BY TOM HORN AND CRIS PUTMAN IS POISON AND IS ANTI-CATHOLIC.

Mr. Akin explains quite clearly, in the link he provides in question 9, above, that God gives revelation in the form of prophecies for a purpose. Not “to satisfy our curiosity” or to give us puzzles to solve. What is the purpose of this alleged prophecy of Saint Malachy? How was it supposed to help the faithful, when it was lost for 450 years (almost half a millennium)? How has it helped the faithful since its discovery in 1590?

With the exception of the promise of the Messiah, starting way back in Genesis 3:15 and permeating every book of the Old Testament, prophecies are usually fulfilled in the time of those to whom it is preached. Remember, prophet does not mean teller of the future. A prophet is someone who speaks on behalf of God. This does not always include a prediction of future events.

Since this so-called prophecy has no message or warning to the faithful that would bring them closer to God, and make them better Christians, what is the point? Why would God give us this list of future popes?
Inquiring minds want to know!

Posted by Deoacveritati on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 1:28 PM (EDT):

People the POPE IS NOT GOING TO BE the antichrist.

WHAT A BUNCH OF NONSENSE!!!

THAT IS WHY PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO CONFESSION OFTEN, GRACE IS NEEDED SO WE DON’T FALL FOR THE LIES THE DEVIL AND PRAY BEFORE YOU READ ANYTHING ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO PROPHECY SO THAT YOU DON’T GET CONFUSED AND START BELIEVING…WELL, NONSENSE.

STOP mixing Catholic prophecies, with the FALSE INTERPRETATION given by the Protestant heretics.

Also DON’T mix them with the prophecies of Nostradamous.

AND ONE MORE THIN THAT GARBAGE BOOK PETRUS ROMANUS BY TOM HORN AND CRIS PUTMAN IS POISON AND IS ANTI-CATHOLIC.

Mr. Walford,
What do you mean by “The book also dismisses all millenial theories?” Could you expand on that a bit? I am wondering if your statement means that you are not in agreement with Fr. Iannuzzi. Your book does sound very interesting.

Posted by Rich on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 11:32 AM (EDT):

Doesn’t Saint Paul tell us “all prophesy is imperfect”?

Posted by William Johnson on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 10:35 AM (EDT):

If you would like to read a fictional account of how the Malachy Prophecy might play out I just finished my book “The Malachy Prophecy.” It is available on Amazon under Books. Just search “The Malachy Prophecy.” There is also a Kindle edition. If Peter the Roman is not the anti-christ then what is he? How can he be stopped? Hope you enjoy the read.

Posted by TheresaEH on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 10:06 AM (EDT):

THANKYOU Mr Akin for your information. I attend mass with some dear devoted Catholics who are just making themselves sick with worry about this so called prediction!!!!

Posted by coralie robinson on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 4:49 AM (EDT):

Many apparitions have been very vague over the years,except for urging us to pray ,mass,rosary etc. Most recent apparitions,say that the world as we know it will change very soon, and we will return to a simpler way of life, where Jesus Will will be lived out. It will be a new world ,but not the end of the world. So maybe Mulachy is right to some degree. We certainly need to return to simper times, and live a simpler lifestyle

Posted by bt on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 1:01 AM (EDT):

Are they true. Well I guess we are about to find out. Nothing like a real world laboratory.

Posted by sue on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 11:55 PM (EDT):

The resignation of Pope Benedict was predicted by many recent visionaries 2 years before it happened. The new pope will be charming, articulate with a charismatic personality but will not be from God. He will form a new church and be appaulded by the media, but will abolish the mass and sacraments as well as tolerating sin. Pope Benedict will be accused of something he is innocent of and his death is already being planned according to the latest messages from Jesus and Mary.(see websites of Christina Gallagher, Ned Dougherty,Pedro Regis,Gianna Sullivan,and Maria at ‘the warning second coming’

Posted by Elena Maria Vidal on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 10:36 PM (EDT):

I hope my first comment is published.

Dear Mr. Akin, whether or not you believe in the Prophecy of St. Malachy is of no account to me but you should know your Church history better than you appear to know it. Aquila rapax (“Rapacious eagle”) for Pius VII fits perfectly for that pontiff’s reign. Are you aware that Pius VII was imprisoned by Napoleon? That Napoleon forced Pius VII to crown him Emperor in Notre Dame? The Rapacious Eagle (Napoleon)filled the reign of Pius VII.

And another thing, there is no rule that says the “titles” of the prophecy have to describe the personal life of the pope in question. In each case it is something to do with his reign.

As for Religio depopulata (“Religion destroyed”), have you ever heard of the Bolsheviks? Did you know that in 1918 the largest Christian nation in the world fell under the rule of militant atheists? It meant “Religion destroyed” for millions of people. Just because religion was not destroyed on the entire surface of the earth does not void the prophetic message of the title for Benedict XV.

I could go on. As I said, whether you or anyone else accepts the Prophecy of St. Malachy really doesn’t matter but seeing the shocking lack of knowledge of ecclesiastical and world history in print is unsettling.

Posted by Elena Maria Vidal on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 9:38 PM (EDT):

I would recommend an erudite treatment of the St. Malachy Prophecy, based upon the work of a Belgian scholar and Jesuit. It is a book called La Mystérieuse prophétie des papes by Fr. René Thibaut, S.J. (Namur: Bibliothèque de la Faculté de philosophie et lettres,1951, Imprimatur: June 28, 1945, Et. Jos. Carton de Wiart) Sadly, it is not in English. However, since it is written in scholarly French it is much easier to read than idiomatic French. Fr. Thibaut (1883-1952) was a Belgian Jesuit and a professor at the University of Namur. (http://www.jesuitica.be/assets/file/Prosopographia SJ BSE 1814-2003 (v0901) (E).pdf) He studied the List of Popes for decades and published his book in 1951 a year before he died. Yes, the book has an Imprimatur.

Fr. Thibaut’s research reveals that there is a great deal more to the Prophecy than meets the eye. His book is a penetrating treatise which, because of the author’s vast knowledge of Church history and Sacred Scripture, both informs and inspires.

Fr. Thibaut maintains that the Prophecy of the Popes is a genuine prophecy. However, the identity of the actual prophet remains unclear. The author of the Prophecy is probably not St Malachy but someone who wrote under the name of the great Irish saint in order to honor him. (p.7) Of the 111 titles describing all the popes and anti-popes from 1143 to the present, the first 71 titles have been subjected to the tampering but the last 40, which cover the years 1572 to the present, are untouched. And they are remarkably accurate. Fr. Thibaut insists that the Prophecy is not meant to worry or disturb but to reassure the faithful about the Providence of God during even the most difficult of times. It is a sort of litany which celebrates the glory and triumph of the universal Church throughout the ages under the leadership of the Roman pontiffs. (p.24) It was a mistake for people of the past (and present) to use the list of popes in order to predict who the next pope would be, for that was never the intention of the original author. (p.20) Neither is it meant to herald the imminent end of the world, because “of that day and hour no one knoweth, not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone.” (Matthew 24:36)

I have many more links and more information in my posts on this topic:

http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/search?q=St.+Malachy

Posted by Stephen Walford on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 9:12 PM (EDT):

I have just had a book published by Angelico Press called Heralds of the Second coming. It deals with the prophetic teachings of the popes of the past 150 years and shows that they have discerned the presence of the signs of the end times. If you click here http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/130222, the entire foreword of Cardinal Ivan Dias is available to read. The book also comes with an Imprimatur and is endorsed by bishops and theology professors. I wanted to write a book that would demonstrate the unity of eschatological thought in recent papacies. I am sure that many will find it quite startling “spectacularly present, yet strangely overlooked” in the words of Fr Aidan Nichols OP. I should stress the book does not speculate about specific times that remain a secret of God the Father, rather it confirms what has been said at Fatima Kibeho and to St Faustina. There is also an appendix of St Hildegard of Bingen in which God the Father showed her in papal approved revelations the “Five ferocious epochs” from her time until the end of the world. two stunningly accurate prophecies show us where we are now in that series of epochs. The book also dismisses all millenial theories which are so often attached to private interpretations of apparition messages
Stephen Walford

Posted by tad on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 7:23 PM (EDT):

If we are not to believe in such things, then why have saints made such prophcies? Why Fatima? Why Akita Japan? All approved. Granted we are not to become upset, or worried, just awake and ready, as we should be in any time.

Posted by Nick from Detroit on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 6:21 PM (EDT):

For those who are looking for “wars and rumors of wars”, or, “famines and earthquakes in various places”, or, any of the other things that Christ predicts in Matthew 24, you should realize that you are looking in the wrong time. All of these events took place in the run-up to the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem (A.D. 63 - 70). This was the end of the Old Covenant Age.
The proof for this interpretation is when Christ says, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place” (v. 34).

The same goes for Saint John’s vision recorded in the book of Revelation. In fact, Matthew 24 is also known as “The Little Apocalypse”, as opposed to John’s Big Apocalypse. This is why John’s Gospel doesn’t record this prophecy of Christ. God was going to show John the terrible fate that awaited Jerusalem in a vision. We know that Christians fled to Pella, and, therefore, escaped destruction. Plus, did you know that the word “antichrist” does not appear anywhere in the whole book of Revelation?

Christ wanted the first generation of Christians to know when He would return to bring justice upon Jerusalem (see the definition of the Greek parousia)so that they could flee in time. Christ didn’t leave any clues as to when the Final Judgement would happen. Because only Father knows the day and hour (cf. Matthew 24:36).
God Bless!

Posted by Mel Kesser on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 5:20 PM (EDT):

We are not to despise prophecy. It is better to believe, than not to believe. One of the signs that Jesus gave, was even the Elect will be deceived in the end days. The is referring to Catholic Religious and lay people. Even the people in Noah’s time refused to believe of being punished by the 40 day flood. The same thing is happening in our day. May God have mercy on us, and the Blessed Mother, protect us

Posted by Chris on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 5:05 PM (EDT):

Jimmy—it is also written (Matt 24:32), that Jesus said: And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.

Posted by Drew on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 4:13 PM (EDT):

Scott W,

Can you elaborate please? What were these clues? Did anyone publicly predict his resignation?

Posted by Nokomis on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 3:42 PM (EDT):

Regarding Maria Divine Mercy…anyone with insight could have seen Pope Benedict could not last much longer and he had seen what happened to JPII and the papacy as he deteriorated.He didnt want to cripple the church because he knew what was coming, for himself and the world: war in middle east, muslims advancing troughout the world, the fallout of Vat ii still ravaging the church.

THen his brother always giving little interviews here and there in the German papers: Bxiv loosing hearing, eyesight bad, has heart trouble, they were to spend summer together(in 2013!).
Before our native group left for the canonization of Kateri tekakwitha in Rome, Oct 21, we said novenas THAT THE POPE WOULD STILL BE THERE FOR IT. That was all apparent from accurate, insightful, prayerful observation. I was only surprised that the heirachy didnt see it coming.

Posted by Scott W. on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 3:19 PM (EDT):

No one saw this coming but she did. The proof is there for all to see and discern.

Not true. Benedict XVI dropped several clues of resignation before and after he was elected pope.

Posted by Nick from Detroit on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 2:20 PM (EDT):

“There are several messages in the past year or so indicating that the pope would be forced to resign.”

There’s just one problem with this “prophecy”, Drew. The Holy Father isn’t being forced to resign. Pope Benedict XVI has renounced his office freely and of his own accord.
Deuteronomy 18 deals with this situation fairly clearly:
“21 And if you say in your heart, `How may we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’
22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him.”

This woman also claimed that Christ told her that world leaders would be assassinated “soon”. Did I miss all of these killings in the news?
God Bless!

Posted by Jacques on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 2:06 PM (EDT):

Dear Jimmy,This is the previous posting I referred to above that was blocked by your spam filter:The text of St. Malachy under discussion for the next Pope is the following: “In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things have happened, the seven-hilled city will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people. The End.” This can be interpreted in a favorable and not frightening way. First of all, the word “end” should be understood as the end of the list, not the end of the world or the papacy. The key to understanding the context is the seven hilled city which should be understood in the context of Rev. 17:9 where the Harlot of Babylon sits. In the Bible, the faithful Church is the Bride and (in Jewish tradition) the unfaithful are the Harlot (as for example in Hosea and many other places). This passage therefore predicts as part of a very important and long part of the Book of Revelation (chapters 17, 18, 19) the defeat of that section of the Church which has become worldly and is basically proposing a Church along the lines of what the media seem to want. This is not an isolated passage; it is confirmed for example by 2 Thess. 2:1-12. There we see Christ as the judge who purifies the Church by the Holy Spirit (breath of his mouth v. 8). The passage clearly describes the atheistic spirit of our times (claiming that he is a god v. 4) and it is in harmony with passages like 2 Peter 2:1-22. This purification of the Church is clearly not the end of the world because in Revelation 21:26 and 22:2 there is clear reference to the missionary work of the Church (“the nations” or pagans). In short, this prophecy of St. Malachy is simply repeating the message of Fatima about the end of the persecution of the Church and the Pope from another angle: “Russia will be converted and a time of peace shall be granted to the world.” Much more could be written making use of the Bible and various private revelations, but this is the answer in outline. The objections to this list attributed to St. Malachy do not seem to outweigh the Bible’s description of a situation remarkably like our own times which points to the triumph of the Church. St. Malalchy, then, is just another confirmation from private revelations.

Posted by Jacques on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 1:54 PM (EDT):

Dear Jimmy, this is the second part of my original post that was blocked as “spam.”What Revelation says about the elements within the Church which have compromised with the world is not an isolated passage; it is confirmed for example by 2 Thess. 2:1-12. There we see Christ as the judge who purifies the Church by the Holy Spirit (breath of his mouth v. 8). The passage clearly describes the atheistic spirit of our times (claiming that he is a god v. 4) and it is in harmony with passages like 2 Peter 2:1-22. This purification of the Church is clearly not the end of the world because in Revelation 21:26 and 22:2 there is clear reference to the missionary work of the Church (“the nations” or pagans). In short, this prophecy of St. Malachy is simply repeating the message of Fatima about the end of the persecution of the Church and the Pope from another angle: “Russia will be converted and a time of peace shall be granted to the world.” Much more could be written making use of the Bible and various private revelations, but this is the answer in outline. The objections to this list attributed to St. Malachy do not seem to outweigh the Bible’s description of a situation remarkably like our own times which points to the triumph of the Church. St. Malalchy, then, is just another confirmation from private revelations

Posted by Jacques on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 1:52 PM (EDT):

Dear Jimmy, since my original post was blocked by your website as “spam” I will try again in 2 parts. Part one:The text under discussion for the next Pope is the following: “In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things have happened, the seven-hilled city will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people. The End.” This can be interpreted in a favorable and not frightening way. First of all, the word “end” should be understood as the end of the list, not the end of the world or the papacy. The key to understanding the context is the seven hilled city which should be understood in the context of Rev. 17:9 where the Harlot of Babylon sits. In the Bible, the faithful Church is the Bride and (in Jewish tradition) the unfaithful are the Harlot (as for example in Hosea and many other places). This passage therefore predicts as part of a very important and long part of the Book of Revelation (chapters 17, 18, 19) the defeat of that section of the Church which has become worldly and is basically proposing a Church along the lines of what the media seem to want.

Posted by Deoacveritai7 on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 1:40 PM (EDT):

The prophecies of St. Malachy might very well be true. I believe there is something to them.
I often get annoyed when I read many theories against the prophecies of St. Malachy.
So here is one that bothers me might and one of the reasons why some consider them false:
St. Bernard of Clarevaux never mentioned the prophecies in his biography of St. Malachy. Well maybe God, the pope or St. Malachy himself didn’t allow St.Bernard to mention them, maybe St. Bernard didn’t know about them, maybe he was asked by St. Malachy himself not let anyone know he had knowledge of his vision in Rome.

I also get annoyed when I read “A significant mark against its authenticity is the fact that it was not published until 1595, though St. Malachy died in 1148. There is no record of the prophecy existing in the intervening 447 years.
Allegedly, this was because the prophecy lay, forgotten, in a Roman archive, and it was not rediscovered until 1590.”

I don’t see how this could go against the authenticity of the St. Malachy’s prophecies, it could have happenned that they did lay forgotten, maybe Providence allow it to be that way, maybe they were meant to be talked about in later centuries like in our times perhaps.

And here are other theories which I don’t like one is that they were 16th century forgery and the other says they were spread by supporters of Cardinal Girolamo Simoncelli in support of his bid to become pope during the 1590.

I suspect that the answer is in the Secret Archives of the Vatican and we know how the Vatican deals with prophecies…they don’t like to talk about them.

But I am sure the Vatican itself doesn’t ignore prophecies they might not talk about them but I would be very disturb if the Vatican just allows various prophecies to lay there dormant without questioning or studying them in relation to the different times of the Church. I am sure there are some priests that are aware of different prophecies within the Vatican walls and study them.

At least I hope so or I think it would be wise if they do so.

Posted by Drew on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 1:10 PM (EDT):

Leo,

Actually there is an alleged modern day seer who predicted that Pope Benedict XVI would resign. She calls herself Maria Divine Mercy she posts what she alleges to be messages from Jesus and Mary on her site www.thewarningsecondcoming.com There are several messages in the past year or so indicating that the pope would be forced to resign.

Not saying she is legit. But you have to admit that it is a pretty amazing prophecy that’s come true especially since no pope has resigned in the last 600 years. No one saw this coming but she did. The proof is there for all to see and discern.

Posted by Deoacveritati on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 1:03 PM (EDT):

The prophecies of St. Malachy might very well be true. I believe there is something to them.
I often get annoyed when I read many theories against the prophecies of St. Malachy.
So here is one that bothers me might and one of the reasons why some consider them false:
St. Bernard of Clarevaux never mentioned the prophecies in his biography of St. Malachy. Well maybe God, the pope or St. Malachy himself didn’t allow St.Bernard to mention them, maybe St. Bernard didn’t know about them, maybe he was asked by St. Malachy himself not let anyone know he had knowledge of his vision in Rome.

I also get annoyed when I read “A significant mark against its authenticity is the fact that it was not published until 1595, though St. Malachy died in 1148. There is no record of the prophecy existing in the intervening 447 years.
Allegedly, this was because the prophecy lay, forgotten, in a Roman archive, and it was not rediscovered until 1590.”

I don’t see how this could go against the authenticity of the St. Malachy’s prophecies, it could have happenned that they did lay forgotten, maybe Providence allow it to be that way, maybe they were meant to be talked about in later centuries like in our times perhaps.

And here are other theories which I don’t like one is that they were 16th century forgery and the other is ” the creation of the prophecies, put forward by 17th century French priest and encyclopaedist Louis Moréri, among others, is that they were spread by supporters of Cardinal Girolamo Simoncelli in support of his bid to become pope during the 1590 conclave to replace Urban VII. In the prophecies, the pope following Urban VII is given the description “Ex antiquitate Urbis” (“from the old city”), and Simoncelli was from Orvieto, which in Latin is Urbevetanum, old city. The prophecies may, therefore, have been created in an attempt to demonstrate that Simoncelli was destined to be pope.[8] Simoncelli was not elected pope; Urban VII was succeeded by Pope Gregory XIV, born Niccolò Sfondrati.”

Well I could see how some cardinals might want to force the prophecies to their own advantage, but I am generally incline to believe that they are real.

I suspect that the answer is in the Secret Archives of the Vatican and we know how the Vatican deals with prophecies…they don’t like to talk about them.

But I am sure the Vatican itself doesn’t ignore prophecies they might not talk about them but I would be very disturb if the Vatican just allows various prophecies to lay there dormant without questioning or studying them in relation to the different times of the Church. I am sure there are some priests that are aware of different prophecies within the Vatican walls and study them.

At least I hope so or I think it would be wise if they do so.

I for my part don’t want to ignore them and I think we should all consider them. Prophecy is part of the Bible and it has been part of the life of the Church and even though not all prophecies come to past doesn’t mean we should ignore them.

Many prophecies if they don’t come to pass or if they don’t seem to make sense might be because either prayer stop them from coming to pass, maybe the saints who received them didn’t quite understand them and therefore there was a mistake in the transcript of them or maybe Providence hides their meaning until certain times when they will be better understood.

Just sharing what I think.

Posted by Rick on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 12:54 PM (EDT):

I have observed speculation on private revelation lead to hurtful division. Whether one views this prophecy as true, false or simply maintains a neutral view—its telling is now! Why not simply be at peace and observe?

Rick

Posted by Jacques on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 12:52 PM (EDT):

For some reason, your site blocked this text, so this was sent before the one that speaks of “my previous posting.” The text under discussion for the next Pope is the following: “In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things have happened, the seven-hilled city will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people. The End.” This can be interpreted in a favorable and not frightening way. First of all, the word “end” should be understood as the end of the list, not the end of the world or the papacy. The key to understanding the context is the seven hilled city which should be understood in the context of Rev. 17:9 where the Harlot of Babylon sits. In the Bible, the faithful Church is the Bride and (in Jewish tradition) the unfaithful are the Harlot (as for example in Hosea and many other places). This passage therefore predicts as part of a very important and long part of the Book of Revelation (chapters 17, 18, 19) the defeat of that section of the Church which has become worldly and is basically proposing a Church along the lines of what the media seem to want. This is not an isolated passage; it is confirmed for example by 2 Thess. 2:1-12. There we see Christ as the judge who purifies the Church by the Holy Spirit (breath of his mouth v. 8). The passage clearly describes the atheistic spirit of our times (claiming that he is a god v. 4) and it is in harmony with passages like 2 Peter 2:1-22. This purification of the Church is clearly not the end of the world because in Revelation 21:26 and 22:2 there is clear reference to the missionary work of the Church (“the nations” or pagans). In short, this prophecy of St. Malachy is simply repeating the message of Fatima about the end of the persecution of the Church and the Pope from another angle: “Russia will be converted and a time of peace shall be granted to the world.” Much more could be written making use of the Bible and various private revelations, but this is the answer in outline. The objections to this list attributed to St. Malachy do not seem to outweigh the Bible’s description of a situation remarkably like our own times which points to the triumph of the Church. St. Malalchy, then, is just another confirmation from private revelations.

Posted by Jacques on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 12:48 PM (EDT):

As my previous posting was rather long, there is one more connection I would like to make between 2 Thessalonians, Fatima, and the prophecy of St. Malachy. In 2 Thessalonians, 2: 1-12, it is specifically mentioned that there is someone who is restraining the apostasy (translated as “rebellion” in some versions but written as apostasia in the original Greek). That someone is no doubt the pope (Peter “the rock”). In our own days, we see the fanatical efforts, both within and outside the Church, to belittle, cripple and block his ministry. In this way he is “removed” by losing his ability to effectively influence events as universal Pastor. The persecution of the Pope is a specific aspect of the Fatima prophecies and is also referred to in the prophecies of St. Malachy. I might add that the “apostasy” of our times and even within the Catholic Church is described quite well in chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4 in 2 Timothy. In any event, the title “Peter the Roman” of St. Malachy would give good grounds to understand our Lady’s words at Fatima on the conversion of Russia as indicating the restoration of the original unity of the Church around Peter the Roman.

Posted by Jacques on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 12:46 PM (EDT):

The text under discussion for the next Pope is the following: “In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things have happened, the seven-hilled city will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people. The End.” This can be interpreted in a favorable and not frightening way. First of all, the word “end” should be understood as the end of the list, not the end of the world or the papacy. The key to understanding the context is the seven hilled city which should be understood in the context of Rev. 17:9 where the Harlot of Babylon sits. In the Bible, the faithful Church is the Bride and (in Jewish tradition) the unfaithful are the Harlot (as for example in Hosea and many other places). This passage therefore predicts as part of a very important and long part of the Book of Revelation (chapters 17, 18, 19) the defeat of that section of the Church which has become worldly and is basically proposing a Church along the lines of what the media seem to want. This is not an isolated passage; it is confirmed for example by 2 Thess. 2:1-12. There we see Christ as the judge who purifies the Church by the Holy Spirit (breath of his mouth v. 8). The passage clearly describes the atheistic spirit of our times (claiming that he is a god v. 4) and it is in harmony with passages like 2 Peter 2:1-22. This purification of the Church is clearly not the end of the world because in Revelation 21:26 and 22:2 there is clear reference to the missionary work of the Church (“the nations” or pagans). In short, this prophecy of St. Malachy is simply repeating the message of Fatima about the end of the persecution of the Church and the Pope from another angle: “Russia will be converted and a time of peace shall be granted to the world.” Much more could be written making use of the Bible and various private revelations, but this is the answer in outline. The objections to this list attributed to St. Malachy do not seem to outweigh the Bible’s description of a situation remarkably like our own times which points to the triumph of the Church. St. Malalchy, then, is just another confirmation from private revelations.

Posted by Ceci Castillo on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 12:31 PM (EDT):

I’m 66 years old and I’ve heard predictions of the end of the world from way back to 1958 from my grandparents and parents. My mom told me that the end of the world had been predicted at the end of WWII, then back in 1958 my grandmother had read an article in a Spanish language edition of Maryknoll Magazine where it predicted that the world would end in 1960 after the Pope reads the 3rd secret of Fatima. You can imagine what that did to a 12 year old kid. I was so stressed out and when 1960 came along the secret was read but was never revealed by Pope John XXIII. My grandmother was always reading the book of Revelations and always admonishing us that if we didn’t spend 24 hours on our knees praying for forgiveness, the world was going to end. I finally asked one of my religion teachers in Catholic high school, a priest, regarding all of the above and he reassured me that my grandmother and my mom were probably trying to keep us on the straight and narrow by scaring us to death. All of the Catholic teaching I have received throughout my life has been filled with the teachings of Christ that only the Father knows the when the end will come and to be prepared. So I will continue to have faith in the Lord and live one day at a time.

Posted by Ted on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 12:17 PM (EDT):

I have read catholic prophesy all of my life and always go back to the bible to test. One thing is for sure, we are at a crossroad, an end of an era. The signs are quite apparent. Jesus told us to watch for them. The polarization of good and evil is intense, and increasing each day. “Will he find any faith upon the earth with his return?” Prophets and Prophesy is our lords way of waking us up and informing us! He loves us and will always warn us, that isn’t just an old testament reality. Once woken up we need to re-immerse ourselves into his word and sacraments. We also need to be careful and pray for discernment to the holy spirit since the deceiver will try to interfere with and discredit what is valid. Soon all of us will be deciding for God or for his adversary. There will be no middle ground. My God have mercy on us.

Posted by Mary on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 11:58 AM (EDT):

Actually .. there was a seer or prophet that published a year ago to the date of his announcement that the Pope would be ousted from the Vatican .. not saying she’s 100% authentic .. only God knows .. but she did publish it a year in advance on the very day he made the announcement. http://www.thewarningsecondcoming.com/messages/latest-messages/

You say that the “mottoes” are easy to connect prior to 1590 and than site a few examples. Than you site examples after 1590 that are not easy to connect. Why not also site the reverse. Ones that are not easy to connect before 1590 and ones that are easy to connect after 1590. The way you site is one sided. Don’t you think it would be a more objective approach. Or simply state the number that are in each category. Prior to 1590 and post 1590. The way you have done it we just have to take your word that they are easier to connect before 1590.

Posted by Regine Pellevoisin on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 11:40 AM (EDT):

This is an unfortunate article. “Pia civitas in bello” is a clear reference to Rome at war with the forces of the Reformation. “Religio depopulata” does not mean “destroyed” but rather “depopulated” and that is precisely what happened as untold numbers of Christians were slaughtered in Russia and elsewhere greatly reducing the number of Christians in the world. These examples are enough to show that this article is not what it should be. Too bad.

Posted by pittsburgh mama on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 11:23 AM (EDT):

@Lily: The name is a joke. If the info about the club itself doesn’t give that away, then the information about what you first receive on sign-up should tell you that. Pope Benedict’s comments on Revelation are already public. But the value of the club is that it presents the information in a way that is handy and accessible to laypeople, who can learn something even though they’re not spending every last minute doing the research themselves. As he does here, Jimmy does a great job pulling together information from a variety of sources and presents it in a way that makes sense to the person who is not well versed in theology but still wants to learn more about the Faith (i.e. most of us). So I thank him for doing that!

Posted by Joel on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 11:20 AM (EDT):

The last prophesied pope, “Petrus Romanus,” is unnumbered and comes after a gap from #111. No pope since the first one has taken the name, Peter. At the end of time, will St. Peter be raised from the dead to “feed his flock”? The longer we do without a pope, the more likely this will seem.

Posted by Katie on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 10:54 AM (EDT):

“He writes in the 50s and predicts that Peter the Roman would be elected near the year 2012.”
I would think that Peter the Roman could apply to anyone as the Pope would then be in Rome (and is a Roman Catholic as well), plus any Pope could be Peter as he sits in Peter’s chair. Near 2012- that is a bold prediction, indeed.

Posted by Kitchen Madonna on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 10:48 AM (EDT):

The dates for Pius II are wildly off the mark.

Posted by Kenneth Heck on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 10:35 AM (EDT):

Prophecies made after the age of the apostles can be ameliorated or even nullified depending on their reception by the faithful. Even if St. Malachy had received a true prophecy, the response over nine centuries could render it non-relevant to our times. The same is true for Nostradamus.

Posted by Robert on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 10:04 AM (EDT):

Jimmy, have you read Father Thibaut, SJ’s French “The Mysterious Prophecy of the Popes”?

Fr. Thibaut makes an interesting argument that there’s actually much more to the prophecy than is popularly thought.

He writes in the 50s and predicts that Peter the Roman would be elected near the year 2012.

Not saying I’m a believer, but there’s more sophisticated literature on the subject than you’ve suggested.

Posted by Lily on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 9:39 AM (EDT):

The article itself is good, and I’m glad that it is helping people not to be taken in by some of the nonsense that is out there sensationalising current events in the Church; Jimmy’s advertisment at the bottom, however, disturbed me. One of the characteristics central to Gnosticism as it has reared its ugly head throughout history has been the idea of having secret knowledge/information that is available only to the initiated. The advertisement for a Secret Information Club seems to me disturbingly reminiscent of Gnostic thought and in poor taste. I’d be much more inclined to sign up for a mailing list about fascinating items of Catholic thought if it came across as a little more like it was for Catholics and a little less like it was for Albigensian Perfecti.

Regardless of if the prophesy is true or not I put my trust in Jesus. I fear nothing.

Posted by tad on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 8:47 AM (EDT):

Agree we will not know the day nor the hour of end. However, Christ did give us clues to watch for the end times, as does Revelation, as well as other approved church apparations, and not mention saints. So I think your wrong stating that we should not concern ourselves with end times prophecy. And yes, their are prophecies about old pope fleeing Rome, and dying in exile. The church has always had the gift of prophecy.

Posted by Jacques on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 8:45 AM (EDT):

The text under discussion for the next Pope is the following:In persecutione extrema S.R.E.sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus, quibus transactis civitas septicollis diruetur, et judex tremedus judicabit populum suum. Finis. In English: “In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things have happened, the seven-hilled city will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people. The End.” This can be interpreted in a favorable and not frightening way. First of all, the word “end” should be understood as the end of the list, not the end of the world or the papacy. The key to understanding the context is the seven hilled city which should be understood in the context of Rev. 17:9 where the Harlot of Babylon sits. In the Bible, the faithful Church is the Bride and (in Jewish tradition) the unfaithful are the Harlot (as for example in Hosea and many other places). This passage therefore predicts as part of a very important and long part of the Book of Revelation (chapters 17, 18, 19) the defeat of that section of the Church which has become worldly and is basically proposing a Church along the lines of what the media seem to want. This is not an isolated passage; it is confirmed for example by 2 Thess. 2:1-12. There we see Christ as the judge who purifies the Church by the Holy Spirit (breath of his mouth v. 8). The passage clearly describes the atheistic spirit of our times (claiming that he is a god v. 4) and it is in harmony with passages like 2 Peter 2:1-22. This purification of the Church is clearly not the end of the world because in Revelation 21:26 and 22:2 there is clear reference to the missionary work of the Church (“the nations” or pagans). In short, this prophecy of St. Malachy is simply repeating the message of Fatima about the end of the persecution of the Church and the Pope from another angle: “Russia will be converted and a time of peace shall be granted to the world.” Much more could be written making use of the Bible and various private revelations, but this is the answer in outline. The objections to this list attributed to St. Malachy do not seem to outweigh the Bible’s description of a situation remarkably like our own times which points to the triumph of the Church. St. Malalchy, then, is just another confirmation from private revelations.

Posted by Leo on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 4:24 AM (EDT):

Timely and useful summary - thanks Jimmy.

I note that neither God nor Our Lady tipped off any of the alleged modern-day seers, recipients of private revelation or prophets of doom that Pope Benedict was about to retire. No astrologers or similar old/new-age charlatans predicted his retirement either.

Posted by Jacques on Monday, Feb 25, 2013 1:16 AM (EDT):

The text under discussion for the next Pope is the following:In persecutione extrema S.R.E.sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus, quibus transactis civitas septicollis diruetur, et judex tremedus judicabit populum suum. Finis. In English: “In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things have happened, the seven-hilled city will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people. The End.” This can be interpreted in a favorable and not frightening way. First of all, the word “end” should be understood as the end of the list, not the end of the world or the papacy. The key to understanding the context is the seven hilled city which should be understood in the context of Rev. 17:9 where the Harlot of Babylon sits. In the Bible, the faithful Church is the Bride and (in Jewish tradition) the unfaithful are the Harlot (as for example in Hosea and many other places). This passage therefore predicts as part of a very important and long part of the Book of Revelation (chapters 17, 18, 19) the defeat of that section of the Church which has become worldly and is basically proposing a Church along the lines of what the media seem to want. This is not an isolated passage; it is confirmed for example by 2 Thess. 2:1-12. There we see Christ as the judge who purifies the Church by the Holy Spirit (breath of his mouth v. 8). The passage clearly describes the atheistic spirit of our times (claiming that he is a god v. 4) and it is in harmony with passages like 2 Peter 2:1-22. This purification of the Church is clearly not the end of the world because in Revelation 21:26 and 22:2 there is clear reference to the missionary work of the Church (“the nations” or pagans). In short, this prophecy of St. Malachy is simply repeating the message of Fatima about the end of the persecution of the Church and the Pope from another angle: “Russia will be converted and a time of peace shall be granted to the world.” Much more could be written making use of the Bible and various private revelations, but this is the answer in outline. The objections to this list attributed to St. Malachy do not seem to outweigh the Bible’s description of a situation remarkably like our own times which points to the triumph of the Church. St. Malalchy, then, is just another confirmation from private revelations.

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About Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is a Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to This Rock magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."